BoatsTanton 43

Tanton 43

Cat Ketch (unstayed) · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1980

A versatile 13-metre cruiser also marketed as the Offshore and Explorer 43, available in both standard and pilothouse

Designed by Yves-Marie Tanton, built by TA Chiao (Taiwan).

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Tanton 43, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Hashtag Sal

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

1.88 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.88
LightHeavy

185 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 185
EasygoingPowered-up

7.8 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 7.8
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws less than ~94% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2566 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Tanton 43, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Tanton 43 is a 13.2-meter cat ketch sailboat designed by Yves-Marie Tanton and built by Ta Chiao in Taiwan since 1980. It features an unstayed cat ketch rig with carbon fiber masts and a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg.10:21 The unstayed masts flex in gusts, reducing the need for constant sail trimming or reefing compared to traditional stayed rigs.11:14 The Tanton 43 was also sold as the Offshore 43 and Explorer 43, and a pilothouse version was available.10:23 Aboard *Hashtag Sal*, the Tanton 43 is used for charter operations in Angra dos Reis, Brazil.9:54

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cat Ketch (unstayed)
Ratios
SA / displacement
7.8
Displacement / length
185.1
Comfort ratio
28.0
Capsize screening
1.88
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1767
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1980
Designer
Yves-Marie Tanton
Builder
Ta Chiao (TAIWAN)

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Sweden Yachts 4213.25 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.25-metre fractional sloop featuring a 2.1-metre bulb keel and a 40% ballast ratio for balanced offshore performance
Sweden Yachts 42 - An Atlantic crossing from Sint Maarten to UK as part of the ARC Europe 2025.9:00from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Beneteau 42 CC13.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA cutter-rigged cruiser produced from 2003 to 2007, widely utilised in the charter trade for its accessible layout
Beneteau 42CC The Center Cockpit Comeback That Didn’t Catch On… But Should Have0:46from Practical Sailor
Beneteau Oceanis 42 CC13.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA center-cockpit cutter designed by Groupe Finot, featuring a wing keel for shoal draft and a stable, comfortable motion
Sailing Solo to San Clemente Island and buddy boating (June 2024)from keeldragger
Catalina Yachts 42613.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2024 6 Series fractional sloop featuring a 2.03-metre fin keel and updated laminate construction for modern coastal cruising
The ALL NEW Catalina 426 Full Tourfrom Practical Sailor
Dufour Yachts 430 Grand Large13.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2019 Umberto Felci design with a 2.1-meter bulb keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited cruising
Dufour 430 the 2019 model from the French shipyard0:20from SVN solovelanet
Ct-44 (Pilot House)13.16 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Tanton-designed pilot house cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
How We Learned to Live on a Sailboat FULL TIME | (EP.030)12:11from Plan-Sea

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Offshore 43 (Tanton)A 13-meter cat ketch with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stability and ease of handling in shoal watersOffshore 45 (Tanton)A 13.66-metre cruiser with a 4204-kilogram ballast for stability and a 1.5-metre draft for shoal-water explorationOffshore Yachts 39 (Tanton)A light-displacement 12-metre cruiser with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited, easy-handling performanceTA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-44A 13-metre cutter with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, offering a pilot house option for offshore voyagingCt-44 (Pilot House)A Tanton-designed pilot house cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Tanton 43, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Tanton 43

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue